Dancing toy



Nov. 16, 1943. o. M. MONKRES 2,334,212

DANCING TOY Filed Jan. '7, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

Ome M. M onkres 46; ATTORNEY.

Nov. 16, 1943.

o. M. MONKRES DANCING TOY Filed Jan. 7, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 F'IG.2

FIG.3

Nov. 16, 1943.

O. M. MONKRES DANCING TOY Filed Jan. 7, 1941 3 Sheets$heet 3 INVENTOR. Ome M. Monk res ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 16, 1943 UNITED .sTAT s 2,334,212 DANCIN TOY t Omey M. Monkr cs, WiohitaFalls, Tex. V A plicant], January '1, 9 lcri N 37a f cani (0146-13-7) I This invention relates to an improvement in dancing toys of the type in which a figure is mechanically operated to produce dancing motions. 1, 7 I t The object of the invention is to improvqdanc ing toys of thischaracter by providing entertain.- ing motions of an articulated figure, ofunusua'l character which may be operated mechanically for its entertainingcharacteristics. 1 l

A preferred embodiment of the invention is,

illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in

which; i H V v ;Fig. 1 is a longitudinal'sectional view-through the toy device,- shcwing the wiring thereof diagrammatically;

t Fig. 2 is afront elevation thereof, with-parts broken away and insection; I t

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of thedance plat form, showing diagrammatically the e1e ctrioal connections thereof; I V, i Fig. 4 is a top plan View of the toy device, with parts broken away, and with the wiring .connec tions shown diagrammatically; t 5

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view through the register structure, on the line '5-.5 of Fig. 4

and l i 1 Fig. 6 is a transverse section through the operating structure, on the line-G--6 of Fig. 1. t

The toy device is shown as formed with ailower portion enclosing an operating structure and m me-separ te t e. ulley s rQm en m nt with a display portion thereabove constructed] for enclosing an articulated figure adapte for dancing motions upon proper operation. 7,

The lower portionis constructed of a base I surrounded by an enclosing casing 2 having a cover 3 extending thereover. The back wall of the casing 2 is extended above the cover? to form an upstanding wall 4. A glass or other transparent case 5 extendsover the cover 3 in front of the wall 4, enclosing a display department for the figure, as shownin Figs, 1and'12.

Within the lower portion of the, device is the I relative to he platform lii and .a wfid fl u i i driving mechanism, including :an v,electricvmotor 6 pivotally supported at I on a bracket Boarried by the base ,I, as shown in Figs; -1 and 6. The motor 6 has a drive pulley S'mounted on the ar mature shaft H3 in position to bear frictionally against pulleyi Iv mounted on a drive shaft 12 journaled in upstanding supports 13 carried on; thebasel.

The motor 8 is freeto swing transversely on its pivot Tito .move the pulley 9 toward and from the pulley l I, under the; control of an eyebolt 14 pivotally connected with the motor hopsing and extending through a wall roitheicasing trolled sdes rcda iea nt sfi ns a r bl rfiex h up-l port-mime opposite end oi i his fi ed t an figu awhich, be constructed or the amusement eiiect de'sir d, Ihea ticu a edifig'ure which is of hook-s ape engagin in a hole ,Zfi in the body of the figure, whil the onn it tend gNrgoFl-ncli f1: a nut threa ed th reon for adjust ns theol o move the motor 5 forward as. inst the-tension ofa pring 15 sleev d ve t e e e I4 andlinte p se between th la te and the asing] .2 normally vtearisiins to move t motor 1th he pull y HBY varying the b fi fm rela etween the pulleys 3 and t speedof rotation of h shait 1'2 be varied. or con- ;fi h ifglw'gli'd easier th shaft I ,2 oarries a ea fo t e r. fades, i. o er tin th yrwh-ieh ui ed ov the am H is; p at orm .19 carups an ing support or block 2 m unt in the baseportionadia ent o end the eo whereby ;,h pla form 1-? supp d for vertical ioscilla pla orm i -supported m lv i blique osi ion; a s own :in Fig. to impart a lateral swa ingemotion to th re upon contactthc ew th to 11 1- ancms; i crease the inter st and amusement fiec-t of the device q t The p at o m t supports a bearing memb r; 23 m t e under sid -thcr o ms ya crewzs, e 5-1 11 a 1fdius meni both ansu ar y an ti 1y shown s intetnposod-between .th bearin'ema he a d he p tform I Qrso as o ad ust the bear.- ingrmcmberrfi re t v h r o to vary the efi o tive stroke of the cam, the partshejng held in adiilfitedpo ition h the s rew 23- 7 I a ula ed fi e i sho n t $5 h i n iointedl, bs and hody capabie o-f .f eefrelati e swingingmov ment upon; ye t moti n o the desi ed shape end-app a nce according t the supported by a sprin re ,26, one end o of ;-th psprins wire :26 exte d down to, a is' su por ed upon. the u t n in sup o or bleak Z1 {l ne :wire 2e5 ,is constructed as, an upwardly arched leaf spring having sufficient yie 1dab ility f r. freedom of motion i t e fi ure bothye tica and late ally under the influence o h upwa dly, vibnatingplatiorm s it zTheho cfifl re e etthel hook zlandhas its edges-roundedlofftran ve sclv of the figure at the front and back thereof to prevent binding engagement with the support.

Provision may be made for electrically indicating the extent of movement'or operation of the device, which may be coin-controlled if desired. For this purpose, I have provided a housing 29 secured to the back face of the wall 4, within which housing is journaled a shaft 35 carrying a ratchet wheel 3| fixed thereon, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5. The ratchet wheel 3I' may be provided with' figures or other indications on the face thereof in position to be viewed through an opening 32 in the wall 4, and carries a lug 33 in po sition to engage a stop pin 34, when the ratchet wheel is turned to a zero position in the direc influence of a spiral spring 35 (Fig. 1), one end tion indicated by the arrow in Fig. 5, under the tion, of the platform against the suspended feet of the articulated of which is attached to the shaft 38' while'the opposite end is attached to the housing 29.

For turning the ratchet wheel 3| in a forward" direction against the tension of the spiral spring 35, two separate ratchet gears 36 and 31 are fixed onf-the shaft in position to be engaged andactuated byreciprocating pawl devices 38 and 39 respectively, the former being shown as provided with one tooth and'the latter, with two teeth, for selective engagement and operationof the shaft and'its ratchet wheel 3| through predeter mined distances according to which-of thepawl devices is actuated. Each of the paw1- devices 38and 39 is held in a retratced' position by a coil spring 4E3 which returns the same ready for subsequent operation; The pawl devices 38 and 39 extend to operative relation with electro-mag-' nets 4| and 42 respectively adapted for alternate energizing under the control of the figure,- for which purpose, one side of each'of these elec'-.

tro-magnets is connected with a source of electrical supply, while the opposite side is connected in series through the respective wires 43 with selected ones of' a plurality of contacts'44 ar-' ranged indifferent positions in the surface of the platform [9. Additional contacts 45 in said surface are connected through a wire 46 leading to the other side of the source. of electrical supply.

" The articulated figure is constructed to pro vide for bridging relationbetween the contacts 44 and 45, for which purpose, it has contact members 41 and 48 spaced and insulated from each other, andpreferably attached to the feet of the figure, as by the heels and soles of the shoes thereof. The contact members 41 and 48are adapted to be connected together through a circuit' 49 which includes electric lamps 5B preferably arrangedfto form the eyes of the figure so as to be energized when the circuit is'- closed through the figure.

.. 30, turning the ratchet wheel 3| mined extent. 4 I This operation will continue repeatedly during of the device. The insertion of the coin mo-' mentarily closes the circuit 56 to energize the electro-magnet 57 and attract the pawl 58 from engagement with the ratchet wheel 3|, releasing the latter'and permitting its return to zero position by the spiral spring 35, immediately after which, the electro-magnet 51 becomes deenergized, and the pawl 58 is returned to its engaged position by the spring 59.

The'closingof'the circuit 52 "bythe switch 53 energizes the electric motor 6, operating through the friction gearing 9-H to drive the shaft I2,

- and rotate the cam I! mounted thereon in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2. This rotation of the cam will cause an upward vibra- I9, causing it to strike figure, jarring the figure and moving it upward anddownward on its yieldable support 26, re-

sulting in amusing gyrations thereof that are highly entertaining. These are enhanced by-the lateral swaying of the figure resulting from the oblique position of the surface of the platform I9.

As the contact members 4! and 48 engage the respective contacts 44 and 45 in bridging relation'therebetween, a circuit'is closed fromthe wire 451:0 one ofthe wires 43,- through the series circuit 48 and the bulbs 50, energizing the latter and the selected one of the electro-magnets 4l--42. This will actuate one of the pawlde- 'vice 4849, moving it downward and causing the tooth or teeth thereof to engage and rotate the corresponding ratchet gear upon the shaft the dancing motions of the figure, causing a stepby step movement of the ratchet wheel 3i, presenting succeeding figures or other indications ation,'as governed by the predeterminedsetting The source of electrcal supply is designated generally by the numeral 5! and supplies current to the several electrically actuated elements through a control circuit 52 that includes a time delay switch 53 adapted to be actuated by a coincontrolled device 5 A second control switch 55 is connected with the coin device 54 for controlling a circuit 58 that includes an electromagnet 5'! in position to actuate a pawl 58 against the tension of a spring 59 acting thereon. The pawl 58, as shown in Fig. 5, engages the teeth of the ratchet wheel 3! tending to oppose return movement thereof under the infiuenceof the spring 35. i V s In the operation of the toy constructedas described, it is necessary to inserta coin into the device 54 to closethe-switches 53'an'd 55 for connecting electric current with the several parts for view through the Window 32, representing the number of times that the energizing circuits have been closed'or the contacts engaged.

After a predeterminedlength'of timeof operof the switch 53, the circuit 52-is broken, stopping the operation of the device, but the high score represented on the ratchet wheel illwill remain in the window 32 until the start of the next operation when it will be cleared by the return of the ratchet wheel to its zero position as described above, when the device will be ready again for another operation. a

I claim:

1. A dancing toy comprising anarticulated figcontacts. g

2. A dancing toy comprising an articulated figure, resilient supporting means for said figure, a platform arranged beneath the figure in position for engagement thereby, resilient supporting means for said-platform, said platform having spaced contacts thereon, contact members carried by the feet of the figure in positionto engage said contacts in bridgingrelation, and an electric circuit connected in series between said contact members and including one or more indicating lamps on the figure.

to a predeter- 3. A dancing toy comprising a resiliently supported articulated figure, a resiliently supported said platform having spaced contactsthereon, said figure havingmeans for bridging the contacts to close an electric circuit upon engagement of the platform by the figure, electrical indicating means connected with the contacts for operation upon said engaging action, said electrical indicating means including a step-by-step counter device,

and an electro-magnet for actuating said counter device and electrically conneected with the platform contacts.

5. A dancing toy comprising a resiliently supported articulated figure, a resiliently supported platform beneath the figure in position for bearing engagement therewith to move the figure, said platform having spaced contacts thereon, said figure having means for bridging the contacts to close an electric circuit uponengagement of the indicating platform by the figure, electrical means connected with the contacts for operation upon said engaging action, said electrical indicating means including a step-by-step counter device and an electro-magnet for actuating said counter device and electrically connected with the platform contacts, and coin-controlled means for controlling the supply of electric current thereto.

OMEY M. MONKRES. 

